Locking device for steering-gears.



E. B. BABBITT. LocKmG ofvlcE fon STEERING GEARs.

1,168,701. APPLICATION flLED MAY I, 1915. Jan. 18,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. B. BABBITT.`

' LOCKING DEVICE FOR STEERING GEARS.

APPUCAIION FILED MAN I, 1915.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l www] I EDWIN n. BABBITT, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA.

LOVCIUYNG DEVICE FCR STEERING-SEARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented aan. 1s, 191e.

Application led May 1, 1915. Serial No. 25,197. 4

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN B. BABBITT, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Washington, in the District of' Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking Devices for .Steering-Gears, of which the followingis a l specification.

the case of a motor vehicle, same cannot be operated by it'sown power and cannot be moved by towing, thus effectively. guarding against the theft of the vehicle by either means.

It is my further purpose to provide a locking device of this character embodying an improved construction wherein the operation of the deviceto an unlocked status will close the ignition circuit of a motor vehicle, while the operation of the device to a locked status will open such circuit and thereby materially increase the obstacles to be overcome in effectin g a successful theft.

It is also my purpose to so'construct the locking device that the locking bolt thereof can be operated to locked position without the use of a key, thereby providing an obviousadvantage when the occupant of a motor vehicle desires to lock the steering gear at a time when he is in haste, it being essential to the construction however that a key be employed to effect retraction of the bolt to unlocked position.

It is also-my purpose to provide a locking device of the character named which will embody the desired features of simplicity and efficiency, and which, having but comparatively few parts easily assembled, may be manufactured and marketed at a relatively low cost.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists inthe details of construction and `in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter, more fullY described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

vIn describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of'refer-` ence denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation of my improved locking device associated with the steering gear of a motor vehicle; Fig. 2, a

lsection on the line 2 2 of Fig. 15 Fig.-3, a

section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a section on the line LJef-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a section on the line 5-f5 of Fig. 2 with the bolt in locked positiongFig. 6, a. view similar to Fig. 5 with the bolt retracted; Fig. 7 a plan View of the locking deviceremoved from the steering column; Fig. 8, a -view looking at the right hand end of Fig. 7; Fig. 9, a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7, and Fig. 10, a perspective view of the device removed from the steering column.

Referring to the drawings 15 indicates the steering shaft and 16 the steering column of a `motor vehicle. The steering shaft 15 is provided Ain its periphery with recesses 17 and 18 in which the bolt of my improved lock is adapted to be selectivelvengaged to secure the steering shaft 15 against rotation.

`While the number of recesses in the steering shaft may be varied I have in this instance shown two such recesses so located that when the bolt of the lock is engagedin the recess 17 the steering shaft will be positioned to effect steering to the right, while on the other hand when the bolt is engaged in the recess 18, as shown in Fig. 2, the steering shaft will be positioned to effect steering to the left. The steering column 1G is provided with an opening 1U with which the recesses 17 and 18'are adapted to selectively register according to the status of the steering gear.

My improved lock is shown as comprising a casing 20 which has formed on one end thereof strap extensions 21 and 22. vThese extensions are applied around the steering column and the free ends thereof are bent into interlocking relation and secured together through the medium of rivets 23 or other suitable fastening devices which are passed through the interlocking ends of the extensions. The inner faces of the strap eX- tensions 21 and 22 are provided respectively with a plurality of projections 24 and as these extensions are clamped around the steeringv column with considerable force the projections will bite into the steering co1- umn and effectively' secure the casing against any movement relatively to said column. The interior of the casing 20v communicates with the opening I9 in the steering column, Whileone side thereof is formed by a removable plate 25, said plate-being applied after the mechanism of the .l lock disposed, within the casing 20 has been assembled. Before applying the casing to the steering column the extensions 2l and 22 are bent almost to their final shape and provision is made'for the application and removal vof the plate 25 by providingl an opening 26 in the extension strap 22. The application of the casing 20 to the steering column locks the plate 25 against removal "as Will be-obvious- Slidably vmounted in the casing 2'0 in line with the opening'lt) is a locking bolt 27 which yis normally held in projected position by a spring 28 oneend of which bears Vagainst the rear end of the bolt and the other end lagainst the casing. This bolt 2 7 is provided with a transverse recess 29 f which opens through the lower edge thereof and is further provided witha longitudinal recess v30 in advance ofthe recess 29 and communicating with the latter and also opening through the lower edge of the bolt'. Pivoted in the recess 30 is alatch 31 adapted to engage in a notch 22 when lthe bolt is fully projected to lock said bolt againstretracti'on. This latch 31 is particularly useful in preventing retractedy movement ,of the bolt as a result of recoil incident to striking a sharp blow on the casing at the rear of the bolt. The latch 31 includes a tail piece 23 which projects across the recess 29 for a purpose that will presently appear. Y

The casing 2O is provided with a passage 34 extending at right angles to the bolt, said passage being reduced atthey point where it piercesthe wall of-thejcasing, ,SlidablyzfA and 'roiaabiy' mounted in 'the mama p0rtion of the passage 34 and also extending into the major portieri of said passage is a cylindrical member 35. vThe inner end of this member 35 terminates in an enlarged head 36 of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the major portion of the passage 34. A spring 37 encircles the member 35 and has one end bearing against the head 36 and'its other end bearing against the casing 20. This spring constantly tends to move the cylindrical member 35 .longitudinally in the direct-ion of the bolt 27, which movement is limited-by a head 38 xed on the ,outer end of the member 35 and adapted to engage the outer face of the casing 20. The head 38 is provided on its inner end with a'lug 39 which is adapted to'engage in a recess 40 in the casing 20 when the member 35 has been rotated a predetermined dis- 43 in which a key is adapted to lle inserted for the ypurpose of ejecting the tumblers 41 from the recess 42, such key coperating With plungers 44 mounted in the recesses 42 all in the usual and well known manner. The end of the head 36 adjacent the bolt 2T has fixed thereon a pin 45 disposed 'eccentrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the memberV 35 whereby said pin will lmove in a circle during the rotation oit' said member.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the'bolt 27 is in projected or locking position and is engaged in the recess 18 so as to prevent rotation of the shaft 15. It will also be seen that lthe member 35 is locked against rotation by the tumblers 41. If it is desired to retract the bolt 27 and thus release the shaft l5 for rotation the necessary key is inserted in the slot i3 and the member then rotated manually in the direction of the arrow in Fig. l'. The initial rotation of the member 35 will move the pin 45 into the recess 29 where said pin will engage the tail piece 33 of the latch 31 and disengage the latter from the notch 32. Continued rotation of the member will cause the pin 45 to engage the wall ot' the recess 29 and retract the bolt 27 against the influence of the spring 28. When the bolt is ,fully retracted the lug 39 alines with the recess 40 and `the springy automatically `moves the member 35 longitudinally 'to engage the l`ug"39 :in the recessie() andthus loi-lc the member 35 against rotation to hold the bolt 27 in retracted position against the influence of the spring 28. When it is desired to release the bolt 27 to locked position the use of a key is not required, it being onlyv necessary to draw the member 35 longitudinally until the lug 39 is out of the recess 4l) and continue the rotation of the member in the direction of the arrow in F ig. 1. This continued rotation of the' member 35 will disengage the pin 45 from the recess 29 when the bolt 27 will be released to the influence cf the spring 28 and automatically 'move to projected position. Further rotation of the member 35 will then bring the recesses 42 in line with the tumblers 41 When the member 35 Will be again locked against rotation until the required key is inserted in the slot 43.

If the desired recess in the shaft, 15 is not in line with the bolt 27 when the latter is released toprojected position it 1s only necessary to continue the rotation of the shaft 15 and as soon as the desired recess alines Myl improved lock further embodies means for breaking the ignition circuitwhen the form of carrying my invention into practicek I desire it to be understood that, various shaft 15 is locked and for closing said circuit when the bolt 27 is retracted and the shaft 15 free to rotate to efl'ect the necessary steering of the vehicle. To this end I mount within the casing 20 contacts f46 and 47 to which are secured respectively the conductingl wires of the ignition circuit. 'These wires are guided into the casing 20 through a tubular member 49 extending contiguous with the steering column 15. Mounted on the side of the bolt 27 remote from the member 35is a switch 50. This switch is so positioned that when the bolt 27 is retracted it will pass between and engage vbothjol the contacts 46 and 47 and thus close the ignition circuit. Whenv the bolt 27 is projected or in locking position the switch 50 passes out of engagement with the contacts 46 and 47 and breaks the ignition circuit thus rendering the operation of the vehicle impossiblewhile the shaft 15 is locked and aifording an additional safeguard against possible theft.'

While I have shown and described one changes in the form, shape and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to without departingfrom the scope of my invention as set forthy inthe appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. A lock comprising a casing, a normally projected bolt slidable within the casing, a rotatable and bodily movable member mounted in the casing and adaptedduring its rotation to retract the bolt, and automatic V t means for moving the .member bodily into'. 45

interlockingl relationfwith the casing when the bolt is fully retracted.

2. A lock comprising a casing, a normally i projected bolt slidable in the casing,a rotatable and bodily movable member adapted" to` interlock with andretract the bolt during 'means for locking said member against rotation when the bolt is in projected position.

3. A lock comprising a casing, a normally projected bolt slidable in the casing, a rotatable member mounted in the casing and adapted during each revolution to successively engage, retract and disengage from the bolt, means for releasably locking the member against -rotation when same is engaged withv the bolt and the latter is fully retracted, and key released means for lockingthe member against, rotation when same has reached a predetermined position after the release of the bolt. 4. Alock comprising a casing having a recess in the wall thereof, a normally projected bolt slidable inthe casing, a rotatable and bodily movable member mounted in the casing and adapted during its rotation to interlock withland retract the bolt, means constantly tending tomove the member bodily. inwardly of the casing, a head, on -said member exteriorly of the casing for limit-v ing its bodily movement under the influence of said means, and a lug on said head engageable in the recess in the casing when the bolt is fully retracted to lock the member against rotationand the bolt against projection.

5. lA lock comprising a casing, a normally projected bolt slidable within the casing, a rotatable.I and bodily movable member mounted in the casing and adapted during j ing operated out of'l interlocking relationv with the casingby manually effected bodily movement 'thereof in the op osite direction.

:In .testimony whereof, I a X my signature,

inthe presence of two witnesses. t

' f EDWIN B. BABBITT.

Witnesses: l

N. F. RAMSEY, l A. Y. LnncH, Jr.r

apies of. this patent may `be obtained forvve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent y Washingtongl). C. 

